Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, as well as the new followers of my stories. I appreciate everyone who reads my stories. Some may be a little drawn out, but I put my heart into these, and it makes me happy to know people actually enjoy them. Continue to leave reviews and tell me what you think!
The Next Morning...
Letty rolled over in bed, stretching out the last of her sleep out of her body. She felt refreshed and well-rested for once and attributed that to the warm and cozy body she cuddled with last night. She wasn't surprised that he was already gone. Seven AM came fast. She herself had another hour and a half to get to The Lab, but honestly found it hard to remove herself from the comfortable bed to get her day started.
Ten more minutes, she told herself as she crawled over to the spot that was previously occupied by Dom. It was still warm, indicating that he hadn't been gone long. She was almost dozing off when she noticed a folded piece of paper on the end table with her name scrawled on it. Smiling, she reached for the note and flipped it open.
I had a great time with you last night. Sorry about staying over - you passed out during the movie and I didn't want to wake you. I'd love to do it again soon.
P.S- You didn't ask to cuddle.
Letty blushed with a grin. She hadn't met another man - before or after Dom - to make her smile with nearly anything he said. She already wanted to be in his presence again.
"You naughty girl, you!" Brooke's voice jolted Letty in bed, frightening the hell out of her. Letty rolled over and yanked the blanket over her head, hoping Brooke would catch the hint. Of course, she didn't, "Did you use protection last night?!"
"We didn't have sex! Brooke, fuck off!"
"Oh no, ma'am," Brooke said, jumping in the bed and snatching the blankets from Letty's face, "You ain't getting off that easy. Or did you?"
"Brooke!" Letty scoffed, "I'm serious - we didn't have sex. We passed out on the couch and it was too late to send him driving off so we slept in the bed. No big deal."
"Um.. huge deal! You don't just sleep in a bed with an estranged boyfriend and nothing happens. Quit holding out, I need details."
Letty gave in and gave her a rundown on the spectacular dinner, gushing about how nice he was dressed and how well he did with cooking. She felt like a schoolgirl rambling about her crush.
"So you mean he came over and cooked you dinner, you had great conversation, you slept in a bed together for the first time in years, and nothing happened?" Brooke asked skeptically.
"That's what I said."
"Well did you want to?"
Letty could her cheeks burning and she was sure they were bright pink, "I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind."
"So why not? He's hot, you're hot - why not have what I'm sure if amazing sex and make the world's cutest kid?"
Letty rolled her eyes and climbed out of bed, already having enough of Brooke's interrogation, "Because I'm not gonna fuck Dom just because he's good-looking, B. You know how many guys I've come across in the past two years that was good-looking? Plenty. And you know how many of them I've boned? Zero. With Dom, it's not just about sex. We have this long history that I know nothing about. It's hard to look at him and see him looking back with so much love, and have no idea why. It's hard for me to take that next step of intimacy with him."
"Well get to know why. I refuse to let this trip to L.A be for nothing. I met someone who is awesome, and you're falling for a man you already love... you just don't know it yet," Brooke stood from the bed and headed for the door, "The intimacy will come sooner than you think."
"Out!" Letty yelled again, unable to keep the smile from taking over her face. She ran over to lock the door to ensure Brooke wouldn't return. On her way back to the bathroom, she noticed something shining underneath the end table. She bent door and scooped Dom's beloved cross necklace from the floor. "Guess I'll be seeing you today after all."
Letty hurried through a shower and was towel-drying her hair when her cell phone began ringing from the other room. She ran out in a red sports bra and matching boy-shorts to retrieve it. She figured Dom probably realized he forgot his chain. Looking at the screen though, it was Leon's number, not Dominic's.
"What Le? I'm getting dressed now."
"Um, Letty. You said you were gonna drive me to soccer practice today," Jess's sweet voice said with worry.
Letty cursed to herself. It totally slipped her mind that she was driving Jess to her practice today.
"Yeah, sweetie, that's still cool. What time does practice start?"
"At nine. It's almost eight."
Letty cursed again and rushed to get dressed, not bothering to finish her hair. She slipped into some loose fitting jeans and a Nirvana t-shirt.
"All right, Jess, are you at The Lab?"
"Yes. Dad says we're gonna be late."
"Not with the way I drive. I'll be there in ten minutes," Letty said and ended the call while shoving her feet into her sneakers. "Brooke! Let's go!"
Letty carefully draped the necklace over her head and made her out to the living room. Ginger was waiting anxiously by the door with her leash, refusing to be left alone again. Letty greeted her pup with kisses and the Shepard returned the favor with sloppy licks to the face.
"Brooke, come on!" Letty hollered again while slipping her jacket over her shoulders.
"What's the rush?" Brooke asked, hopping on one foot while slipping her shoes on. "We have another hour before work."
"I forgot I promised Jess I'd take her to practice. We gotta get moving."
Letty caved in to Ginger's sweet face and leashed her, leading her out to the car. The three got on the road and headed for Pasadena, making record time in their trip. Brooke didn't bat a lash as Letty topped speeds of eight MPH in residential zones - she was used to her friend's wild driving. Instead, she kicked back and shot a text to her handsome date from the night before.
"So how was your date last night? Do you plan on seeing him again or was that a one-time thing?" Letty broke the silence.
"It was awesome," Brooke said while lighting up, "He was really sweet, and funny. I'm not gonna get too ahead of myself because it's still fresh, but let's just say he's making his way around the diamond and could steal home if he wanted."
Letty shook her head with a laugh. At least he was attractive, and he seemed nice enough. And if Dom trusted him to work in his shop, then he probably was a good guy.
They arrived at The Lab in record time to find Leon and his daughter waiting together outside the building. Letty stood out the driver-side door to greet them.
"You ready, kiddo?" Jess gave a hesitant nod, walking over with Leon to the car. He helped her crawl into the back, all the while grinning from ear-to-ear. "What's your deal?" Letty asked him.
"No deal," he said with a smirk, "Did you have a late-night last night?"
"What makes you ask that?"
"Your new ornament," he said, nodding to the necklace dangling around her neck. "The same one he was wearing a few nights ago."
"He left it at my house. That doesn't mean anything," Letty replied.
"I know Dom. He wouldn't just leave that thing anywhere. It means too much to him. He left it for a reason. Maybe he's planning to see you again."
"Well I wouldn't mind," she said with a blush, "We had a good time together last night."
He gave a genuine smile, "That's good to hear. Anyway, here's the address for the field. I've called her coaches ahead of time to let them know you're dropping her off."
"Anything I should know about these soccer moms before I go in gun's blazing?"
"Nothing much," he said with a shrug, "Oh, except Lucy Tran is one of them. Johnny's sister."
"Am I suppose to know her?" Letty asked, trying to pick her brain.
"The feud between the Torettos and the Tran was escalated when Dom revenge-fucked Lucy, then dumped her when he met you."
"Great," Letty said sarcastically. "This should be fun."
"No violence please!" Leon said while Letty sat back down in her car. Jess was giggling in the back, getting attacked by Ginger with non-stop licking and sniffing.
Letty grinned at the adorable sight before turning back to Leon, "No violence. I'll call if I have any issues."
Letty drove them to the massive soccer field in an upscale neighborhood of Pasadena, where dozens of kids in red and blue uniforms were running laps. Dozens of parents dressed in name-brand clothes hung out under fawns in the shade while watching their respective kids on the field. Many high-priced cars sat near the curb, and Letty herself felt a bit out of her element. But Jess was the daughter of a successful multi-millionaire herself, so it didn't make sense to Letty why they would target Jessica.
"You all right to do this?" Letty asked while turning back to her. Ginger's head was in her lap as she slept, and Jess watched the other kids out the window.
"I guess so," Jess said, gathering her things and opening the car door.
Letty and Ginger walked Jess over to the field, where the coaches and kids welcomed her happily. Letty and Ginger approached a group of mom's sitting together, talking exclusively in a group. The conversation died down when they all turned to her, looks of confusion and repugnance written boldly on their faces for both Letty and Ginger.
A woman of Vietnamese descent seated in the center of the group glared at Letty with a smug smile. Lucy knew who Letty was the moment she pulled up. Not many women would drive that loud, rumbling machine - not classy ones at least. Furthermore - Lucy only knew one woman would wear a leather jacket in ninety-degree heat.
With a face to put to the name of Lucy Tran, Letty instantly recognized her. They had a hell of a past together in their teenage years, that revolved around Dominic and her brother, Johnny Tran. Letty's first fight over a man - hell her first real fight ever - was against Lucy Tran, and over Dominic Toretto. Dominic and Tran had beef since middle school that never really went away, but instead, stewed to become something more dangerous and tragic. Tran had double-crossed Dom over racing territory around the city, and Lucy was the no-brainer to repay him. So he seduced her, which wasn't hard considering Lucy was known for being a wild child, and tugged her along until Letty stepped into the picture. The day after running Letty down, he broke up with Lucy, and it didn't take her long to realize why.
She confronted Dom and Letty at the Toretto Cafe, and an all-out brawl ensued between Letty, Mia, Lucy Tran and her cousin. Dom and Vince tried to break the cat-fight up, only to be pulled into a throwdown of their own between Johnny and Lance. It took Dino coming out with his infamous shotgun, shamelessly firing a round off into the air to end the ruckus. And it did. The Trans and the Toretto made a truce to stay away from each other, almost splitting the city in half - both families vowing to stay out of the other's territory.
Letty couldn't remember much, but she definitely remembered the only woman to give her a run for her money in a fight. Tran was trained - and she was good. Letty was used to fighting her step-brothers and handsy classmates, but never trained fighters. It was because of their fight that Letty began working out and taking boxing lessons, which paid off in the long-run.
"Can we help you?" Lucy finally spoke up.
"Actually, yes. I'm a friend of Leon Diaz, Jessica's dad," Letty said, pointing to the young girl who was standing awkwardly behind a group of kids talking to the coach. "I just dropped her off."
"Oh, right! I thought I heard he was getting a nanny, " another woman said smugly, a few laughing quietly.
Letty's blood boiled immediately, but she kept her cool, "I'm not the nanny. I work with him."
"Oh... a mechanic. I'm not sure that's much better," the lady replied, sending them all into a laughing fit that irked Letty's insides.
Letty bit the inside of her cheek before she spoke. No violence. "Anyhow, I just wanted to ask if you could back off with the stories about her parents? She's just a kid."
Lucy Tran stood from her folding chair and approached Letty, towering over her by a few inches. Letty held her ground, and Ginger's leash tighter. The pup growled low in her stomach, but waited for Letty's next move.
"Listen, Letty," Letty quirked a brow at her, "What? You thought I wouldn't recognize you? The one who rises from the dead?"
"I'm listening," Letty prompted.
"The things Jess has been hearing is for her own good. She deserves to know what kind of woman she was almost forced to call mommy. That two-bit criminal Leon is no better. Now, I'm sorry if it hurts her feelings, but somebody's gotta break it to the girl what kind of family she was born into. Nothing but liars, thieves and cheats. And from what I hear, nothing's changed."
Letty's mind quickly scrambled several different ways she could kill the woman in front of her with objects surrounding her; strangling by Ginger's leash, death by her own high-heel pump, or even giving Ginger that signal for attack. The latter idea made her grin outward.
"Did I say something amusing?"
"No. I'm just amused that you're still that same jealous, desperate bitch that you were fifteen years ago," Letty said, no longer holding back. "What kind of a grown woman picks on a little kid? What if I hunted down your spawns and bullied them?"
Lucy gave a grin that pushed Letty over the tipping point. "You don't have the balls."
Without a second-thought, Letty delivered a right hook to Lucy's face, dropping her to the grass below. Adrenaline rushed through Letty's veins and her heart raced in her chest. She was amped up.
"How're my balls now, bitch?" Letty spit out when leaning over her, her breathing heavy and strained. The other women stood from their seats, but Letty's fierce bitch-face kept them from moving an inch. "Please try me. Please."
The women made the smart decision to tend to their friend's injury, a bleeding split lip.
"And you're still the psycho bitch you were," Lucy said as blood dripped down her chin. She spit a glob out on the ground near Letty's feet. "No wonder Toretto chose you over me; two mangy street dogs that no one else wanted. No home-training or respect."
Letty was ready to pounce again when her cell phone began blaring in her pocket. She gave it a quick check - Leon of course - and shoved it back in her pocket.
"Consider this your only warning. Leave Jess alone," Letty snarled before storming off with her dog at her side.
"Don't think this is over!" Lucy yelled after Letty, only to receive a sky-high middle finger.
Dom strolled into work that day twenty minutes past schedule, but he didn't care. He even contemplated "oversleeping" to get a few more hours with the woman he had missed so much, but he dragged himself from the bed and headed home for a shower. Thankfully, Mia was still sleeping and Brian was already at work, so he didn't have to worry about getting harassed about his date. As he entered the parking lot of the garage, though, it was clear that he hadn't dodged the bullet that he hoped.
"You sly fucking dog! Taking the walk of shame, are we?" Brian ribbed with a grin as Dom approached him sitting outside with Oz and Sonny.
Dom smirked, "I'm guessing since you three are out here, everyone's schedules are clear this morning?"
"Yep," Oz said with a cheeky smile, "Long night?"
"You guys are worse than Mia," Dom muttered as he entered the shop with them hot on his tail. Gazing around, he spotted Neil inside the carriage of an engine and Billie in the back tuning out the world with headphones while she worked on a design at her desk. She made a conscious effort not to look up upon his entrance, and he had a feeling the headphones were used to ignore any and all talk about his night out.
"Well... how'd it go, Dom? You realize you didn't come home last night?" Brian asked, taking the seat across Dom's desk while Sonny and Oz filled the doorway.
"Yes, because I'm an adult. And because of that fact, I don't have to tell you leeches anything but get to work!"
Sonny and Oz groaned but demanded to hear about his night later, leaving the brothers alone.
"You know that includes you, right?" Dom said with a cock of an eyebrow.
"You can't bark orders at me anymore, Dom. We're both the boss here," Brian reminded, kicking his feet up on the desk and clasping his hands behind his head.
Dom smacked his feet off the wood desk, "But this is still my office, O'Conner."
"Whatever. I'm guessing things went well last night? Unless it went awful and you spent your night elsewhere?"
"I was with Letty, and yeah, the night went well. We ate dinner and talked, watched a movie then fell asleep on the sofa."
"So... you slept all night on the sofa?" Brian gave a skeptical smile. "Come on, Dom. It's me. I might be blonde but I'm not dumb."
"Don't fool yourself, Bri," Dom smiled while changing into his work vest, "Besides, a gentleman never kisses and tells."
Brian finally folded, standing from the chair with a shake of his head, "Fine, be that way. But you know Mia will get it out of her, and Mia tells me everything."
"Did she tell you about the guy who hit on her at the grocery store last week?" Dom teased. The drop of Brian's smile left Dominic satisfied.
"What guy?" Brian demanded but was already leaving the room. "What guy, Dom?!"
Dom headed out to the main floor as the early-bird customers started rolling in. He only had a few clients scheduled that day but not until the afternoon, which left him free to make his rounds to check on each of his mechanics. Sonny was over in the separate paint station prepping for a custom job he was working on with Billie, Neil tinkered with an '01 Camry, and Billie was navigating her way through a custom design job for a Mitsubishi Eclipse.
She didn't make a peep for most of the morning, only giving half-assed replies to Neil trying to hold a conversation. He didn't seem to mind that she hadn't been listening. It didn't stop him from rambling on about his Honda. When she noticed Dom heading her way, she jammed her ear buds back in and dove deeper into her work.
He tapped a wrench on the desk and called her name but she didn't pull her gaze up from her work.
"I know you can hear me Billie," her reaction confirmed as she froze for a second, then continued working. "How long are you gonna give me the cold shoulder?"
She dropped her pen and yanked the buds from her ears, "I'm not giving you the cold shoulder, Dominic. I'm trying to work."
"How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine," she said coldly.
Dom was getting frustrated with her attitude, but he knew he was the cause for it. "B, I don't want us to be like this," he said softly.
She sighed and smoothed over her messy bun, "I'm sorry that I haven't been able to transition back to what we were before as smoothly as you. I specifically told you that we couldn't cross those boundaries because it would make things awkward if it didn't work out. And just as I predicted..."
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I didn't meant to mess this up. You're still my best friend. I don't want that to change. I had no idea that Letty would turn up again. I care about you, that doesn't change because she's back. But I can't let her be this close and turn away, not after everything we've been through."
The little light in Billie's hazel eyes dimmed, but she kept on a brave face, "I appreciate the honesty. But from here on out we're friends and co-workers, and nothing else. No more drunken sex, no more flirting, nothing. We both know where you belong, and it's not with me."
Dom nodded. She was right, but the harshness in her words stung a bit.
"Good," she gave a relieved sigh before standing from the table, "Now I don't know if you've noticed because you've been in la-la-land, but we're out of the majority of our paint flake additives, and those are essential if I wanna finish this damn design today for Mr. Williams. He's been riding my back about getting his son's Eclipse restored for his eighteenth birthday, and I have less than four days to get it complete."
"Shit. Well I'll give Harry a call, see if he has any in stock."
"Harry's away for the week with his wife. Junior is running it today and he says they are out too. Shipment's not due in until Monday."
"Fuck," Dom muttered. He thought hard about where he could get last minute custom paint accessories, then an idea popped into his head. "Maybe Leon has some he'll let us get from him. I'll give him a shout."
"Okay, but if he does, I'll make the drive. Don't want you getting distracted," she said with a smirk, finally dropping her hard demeanor.
Dom took off for his office to make the call, leaving the rowdy bunch to themselves.
"So Oz, are you gonna tell us about your night?" Neil asked.
Oz immediately grinned from ear to ear. "It was great. Ate lunch at this little Cuban spot near the bench, then watched her prance around the sand in a tiny bikini."
"You lucky dog. That girl is smoking hot. Tell me you took her back to your place and gave her that Georgia thunder?" The twin said with a goofy grin.
"No way he did," Brian interjected.
"Brian's right," Oz said, "She's a good girl. Ain't no rush."
"You're just as lame as Dom," Neil said with a shake of his head. "Don't you guys know that we live vicariously through you?"
"Speak for yourself. Maybe if you find someone to spoon at night other than Sonny, you'll get some action," Brian ribbed, receiving a bolt to the head from Sonny who'd just entered the building.
"Our spooning is none of your business, Nancy," he said with a chuckle. "Billie, the Eclipse should be ready in a few hours for the decals."
"Yo Billie," Dom hollered from his office right after, "He has the flakes if you wanna run after it."
"Thank God," Billie grabbed her bag and shouldered it, "It was starting to get weird back here. Text me the address."
Billie headed out to her GT, hopped in and waited for the text from Dom. She checked herself over in the mirror, using a wet wipe to clean the grunge from her face. Grunge she suffered helping Neil with the same engine block he'd be working on all day. Her phone alerted her to Dom's text, and she entered the address in her GPS system before pulling out of the parking lot.
Though her ego was bruised by his mind games, Billie felt relieved after her talk with Dom. She felt stupid for falling for him, even when she knew she would never hold the place in his heart that Letty left vacant. Even when he portrayed himself as single, he wasn't by any means available. At least not mentally and emotionally. She told herself from the get-go that she wouldn't date anyone in the garage - it was too messy. Sure, the few times that she and Dom had sex were not only unplanned, but few and far between. For the most part, Billie was able to keep her emotions in check. Sex with no strings attached wasn't hard for her.
But that kiss after the barbecue - the one that convinced her to stay the night with him - had destroyed all hope for keeping their friendship just that. It broke through the barrier she fought to keep up between the two for the past two years; the barrier that kept her from developing feelings for a heart-broken man.
"This too shall pass," she said with a sigh. Billie made it to Pasadena in fifteen minutes and quickly found the shop known as The Lab. It was busier than DT's, with even a few cars lined up outside. She prepared herself mentally to walk into the establishment and face the woman who would always hold Dominic in the palm of her hands.
"Leo, how long are you gonna be mad at me, bro?" Letty asked with a smirk as Leon passed her again, still reeling from the phone call he received from Jess's coaches about Letty's squabble with Lucy Tran.
"For as long as I please," he snapped, but he couldn't fight off the smile for long, "I thought we agreed no violence?"
"We did, but you also didn't make me aware that Lucy was still a huge cunt, either. She deserved every bit of that fat lip she's sporting now."
"Well hopefully they won't punish Jess because of your inability to keep your hands to yourself," Leon turned to Hector, who directed his attention to the woman crossing the road.
"Is that the chica from the races? The one that was talking to Dom," Letty heard Hector say to Leon.
"Yeah, her names Billie," Leon replied, hurrying his way around the counter. "And she is beautiful."
Letty watched as the woman she had known for a short time make her way across the street. Still as pretty as the day she stumbled into the garage looking for a job, Billie strutted inside of the garage with a bright smile and her caramel skin glowing. Leon rushed over to her first.
"You here for the paint additives?" he asked.
"I am. You must be Leon," she said with a smile, holding out her hand. "I've heard a lot."
"Hopefully all good things," he gave her his best smile. Come on, I'll show you the flakes and let you pick which ones you need."
As Billie followed Leon to the counter, she finally glanced over and spotted Letty leaning against a NAPA tool-box, watching her. Billie mustered the nicest smile she could and threw Letty a wave. Letty returned a nod, a smirk adorning her face. Billie felt a harsh stab in her gut at the sight of the cross around Letty's neck. His cross. The only physical object he cared for, besides his Charger. But it wasn't just his chain - it was their chain. Billie knew the history surrounding the necklace. Letty had every right to wear it, even if it did hurt Billie's heart a bit.
She took a quick analysis of Letty for changes. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but still much shorter than before. Her body still looked smoking hot in that snug Nirvana shirt. The difference she saw most was the one in her eyes. Two years ago, Letty carried anxiety and peril on her shoulders, and it always showed in her eyes. She was withdrawn from the group. But now, Letty was a different woman. She held her head high with confidence, like she knew she belonged.
And she did. Way more than Billie ever would.
"You two know each other?" Brooke asked from her spot next to Letty.
"Yeah. That's Billie Ramsey. She showed up a few months before I left for a job. A hell of an artist. Surprised she stuck around this long, actually. She should be working for some huge company design concept-cars, not in some small-town garage."
"Maybe her track-record with Dominic is why she stayed," Brooke slipped.
Letty's head whipped to Brooke, "What does that mean?"
"I don't know the whole story. I just heard that she and Dom have a sort of tumultuous relationship. Hooked up a few times. They were pretty close to blossoming into more than friends... then you showed up again," Brooke said apologetically.
"Yeah, I tend to do that," Letty murmured.
"She loves him, but he loves you."
"And you got all that from Oz?" Letty said, a bit unbelieving. She couldn't see Dom and Billie together. Yeah, she was attractive, but she took Brian as more of Billie's type, not Dominic.
"Hey, I'm not saying it's true," Brooke held her hands up defensively, "But I saw the way she looked at him, and how he looked at her. Something happened between them, and she came out on the shit end."
Billie thanked Leon for the paint additives and he offered to walk her out. She made a conscience decision to head over in Letty's direction, if it was just to say hello. She never had any problems with Letty, and she didn't want to any now. Billie was all for girl-power, and she wasn't going to let a failed relationship - if you can call it that - come between her and a woman she once considered a friend.
"I wish I could disappear like you. The moment I'm a few feet from the garage, the twins are blowing up my phone," Billie said with a warm smile. "Heard you were back around. Nice to see you again."
"Likewise, Billie," Letty replied, holding her knuckles out to her. Billie didn't hesitate to return the gesture. "How's it going over there?"
"As well as it could being stuck with immature, competitive, little boys all day," she told her.
"I know what you mean," Letty said as she noticed Hector making suggestive poses with a few guys across the room. "Heard you're running tech over at DTs. Would that mean you were the one who hacked into my phone the other night?"
Billie's cheeks reddened a bit and she gave an apologetic look, "Sorry about that. Dom's like a bloodhound onto a scent. He was really adamant that Brooke was the key to finding you. And he was right," she said with a smile for Brooke. Honestly, she couldn't handle the way Letty was staring straight through her. As if she knew every discretion and deed Billie had ever committed just by looking at her. "But it won't happen again."
"Good," Letty replied. Billie's eyes went back to the necklace hanging around Letty's neck. Letty wanted to deter her attention, "You gonna be at the barbecue tomorrow?"
"Uh, yeah. Mandatory sous-chef for Mia."
"We'll be there, too. Maybe we can help out."
"That'd be great," Billie smiled. Her cell rang from inside her bag, the specialized ringtone for Neil echoing through the shop. Saved by the twin, she thought. "And as always, they're calling so I gotta get back. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
The girls waved her off. Leon continued to follow her out the door, deciding to seize the moment.
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think you are absolutely stunning and I would love to see you again," he said while stopping her at the car door.
Billie blushed, completely surprised by his outburst.
"Normally I'd scoff and storm away, but what the hell," she shrugged, "You're charming. Stop by the barbecue tomorrow," she said.
"Will do," he opened her car door for her, admiring the import. "A Nissan?! A woman after my own heart," he grinned while pointing to his Nismo.
She looked over at the car, her face twisted in acceptance. "Already scoring brownie points," she said with a grin before speeding off from the curb.